‘Let’s not talk about what’s being talked about’

Moments before the end of a session titled ‘Role of Media in Women Empowerment’ held on the inaugural day of the 1st Women Conference at the Karachi Arts Council on Friday, rights activist Tasneem Ahmar lamented that the panel consumed a lot of time in condemning the kind of negative media content which they did not want the audience to consume and promote.

She was responding to actor Sania Saeed’s question what should be done to change the mindset of people who shared negative content, even for criticism, so much so that it became the talk of the town.

“This is the mindset; this is the audience we have to engage with. [So] what is the alternative?” the veteran actor asked. “We will find the alternative once we are done with this topic,” responded Ahmar, referring to the panel’s discussion on a viral clip of a talk show in which a playwright used foul language in a heated debate with a woman political commentator and activist.

“The original topic of the session has gone into the backdrop,” Ahmar remarked after which the hall erupted in applause. The comments were followed by the session’s moderator and journalist Wusatullah Khan’s wisecrack. He quipped: “This debate has also been lost in ratings.” A couple of panellists had earlier held the general audience responsible for promoting “negative content” being aired on the traditional media and frequently shared on digital platforms.

Analyst and journalist Mazhar Abbas talked about the challenges, particularly harassment, which women journalists faced in the industry. He said women journalists generally worked in an environment where some of their male counterparts would not hesitate to swear at each other despite the presence of women around them.

He also criticised electronic media for compromising ethical values in a bid to top the rating charts. He, however, lamented that audiences in a supposedly learned city like Karachi, where the majority of rating meters are installed, are giving ratings to shows which are below any standards of ethics and morality.

When theatre artiste Bakhtawr Mazhar raised a question why anchorpersons did not shut up guests who made offensive comments in their shows, Khan replied: “When Sheikh Rashid is invited to talk shows, do we want him to deliver a lecture on the tradition of Lucknow?” The comment was followed by a huge round of applause.

Discussing reasons behind the downfall of ethical journalism, Ababas lamented that “bad-zabaani anchors ki qualification ban gai hay [an ill-mannered way of talking has become a prerequisite for an anchor's job]”.

Khan said the state was also following in the steps of media when it came to ill-mannered language and the game for ratings. “Now the parliament is also running for ratings,” he punned.

The audience in the auditorium’s hall erupted in cheers and applause many a time in the one-hour session. A clever remark, made by Abbas, following which the hall burst into laughter, was that journalists are working in an environment where they couldn’t say that “mera qalam, meri marzi [my pen, my words].”

When the moderator asked writer Bee Gul that “as long as the writer is a captive of the market forces, how could they give an actual portrayal of their characters”, Gul said she had a longing that those at the helm of the affairs of the entertainment industry should be invited to speak at public forums so that “we could made them promise” to allow a free environment for writing.

The panel had a consensus that a long struggle was ahead to bring about a positive change in the overall mindset of society when it came to the portrayal of an empowered woman. Sania Saeed shared with the audience that she recently persuaded a director to incorporate a professional role for a character she was playing in a drama serial.

The playwright did not want it for the role but the director agreed to her demand, she said, urging people to play their role in promoting roles for women, both in drama and reality, which show and make them empowered.